Amazing Volunteers Make It Happen!
Volunteer Heroes
How does Hearts & Homes make it all happen? Volunteers breathe life into all our visions of ways to help our new neighbors resettle here and build new lives. They are at the core of all we do, and include high school and college students, young adults to retirees, both refugees and native-born.
Here are some of the ways volunteers have been contributing to our work with refugees since the pandemic began!
Learning and Playing
As the education coordinator for Hearts & Homes, board member and volunteer Lisa Kiernan has been busy this spring and summer identifying and training tutors. She and Terri Kung of the Interfaith Council for New Americans Westchester (ICNAW) collaborated on Imagination Station, an online ‘learn and play’ group that met with refugee children three times per week for three weeks. Lisa also trains and matches volunteers for individual tutoring - we have grade school teachers teaching math and reading both online and in-person, high school students providing extra support, and ESOL specialists working with adults on everything from the basics up to English idioms.
Deliveries and Driving
Our new Volunteers Deliver! Program, coordinated by board member Lori Kapner Hosp, has been active, making contactless deliveries of gift cards and goods across Westchester, as well as to vulnerable families identified by Catholic Charities and HIAS in NYC and NJ. Spanish-speaking volunteers help coordinate deliveries and more with clients. And while we’re on the topic of driving, getting a license is an important step in becoming a new American, and volunteers have helped refugees prepare for and attend permit tests and road tests - a milestone offering greater independence and more employment opportunities.
Jobs and Business
The Employment Committee led by ICNAW has expanded to provide support to refugees across the county, and Hearts & Homes has eagerly joined in. Volunteers help edit resumes, support job searches, conduct mock interviews and connect to job opportunities. Volunteers with other business skills help both refugees and our organization. One volunteer is coaching a refugee on social media for a home-based business, while another has helped refugees navigate unemployment insurance. Other volunteers help Hearts & Homes with “back-end” activities including social media, video production and website development.
Collaborating across the Westchester Refugee Initiative
In addition to the collaborations with ICNAW, Hearts & Homes has also partnered with Neighbors for Refugees several times throughout the pandemic. Most recently we created Boredom Buster Bags of books and games that were delivered to families across our network as well as to sister organizations that support refugees and other immigrants (Community Resource Center, Open Door Medical Center and Welcome Home). The American Muslim Women’s Association (AMWA) has been another crucial partner throughout the pandemic, providing both food and cash assistance to families in need.